1- Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Theology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran:
2- Payam Noor University
3- Islamic Revolution University ,ftme.zeidabadi80@gmail.com
2- Payam Noor University
3- Islamic Revolution University ,
Abstract: (64 Views)
The presidencies of Hassan Rouhani (2013–2021) and the late Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi (2021–2024) represented two distinct discourses in Iran's cultural policymaking. This study addresses the central question: What comparative effects did the cultural policies of the Rouhani and Raisi administrations have on political culture and the realization of citizenship rights in Iran? Drawing on qualitative discourse analysis and library- and document-based sources, the findings show that the Rouhani administration took significant steps through its approach of "reducing security tensions and de-securitization" and the formulation of the "Citizens' Rights Charter," yet faced challenges in ensuring implementation. By contrast, the late Raisi administration, through the theory of "cultivating culture" and an approach centered on "integration and structural cohesion," redesigned the architecture of cultural governance and emphasized the enhancement of soft power and cultural justice. These differences in approach reflect two distinct understandings of the relationship between the state, culture, and citizenship rights. Nevertheless, owing to fundamental historical and structural obstacles—including a weak civil society, the politicization of culture, the multiplicity of decision-making bodies, and the absence of oversight mechanisms beyond the executive branch—neither administration succeeded in bringing about a paradigmatic shift in a political culture characterized by a vertical relationship between power and the obedient citizen, or in the system for guaranteeing citizenship rights. Thus, differences in cultural orientations have not necessarily led to lasting changes in power relations or citizenship rights.
Keywords: Comparative Cultural Policy, Hassan Rouhani, Ebrahim Raisi, Political Culture, Citizenship Rights, Cultural Gardening, Integrated Cultural Governance
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/05/27 | Revised: 2026/11/7 | Accepted: 2026/10/29
Received: 2026/05/27 | Revised: 2026/11/7 | Accepted: 2026/10/29
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